Selling Obama's Senate Seat

Illinois: The indictment of Gov. Blagojevich injects a colossal dose of uncertainty into an already unpredictable situation. Who will fill Obama's Senate seat, for how long, when will we get a replacement, and how?

There is nothing to keep Blagojevich—tomorrow, or at some later date from a jail cell—from appointing the U.S. Senator to fill the seat Obama vacated last month, shortly after his election as President. The Senate's Democratic leadership, however, has made it clear they might refuse to seat any senator appointed by the governor, in light of his indictment and his alleged intention to sell the seat. Further, any politician with any political aspirations would be very hesitant to accept a Blagojevich appointment.

Lawmakers in Springfield are considering changing the law, stripping the governor of appointment power—which, under the U.S. Constitution, is vested in state governments broadly, and not specifically in governors—and calling for a swift special election early next year. Washington Democrats advocate such a course of action.

Excerpted from Evans-Novak Political Report (ENPR)